Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02241589 1998-03-13
PERSONALIZATIONIBAR CODED TAGS
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a business form construction which accepts both
impact and non-impact printing in side-by-side relationship on a single form.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There are circumstances where business forms customers desire to have
the option or capability to both impact and non-impact print different kinds
of
information on a single form. This is particularly true since the advent of
bar
code technology, the latter being applied via non-impact printing techniques.
Bar
codes are increasingly found not only on articles themselves, but also on
inventory records, labels, receipts and other forms. Oftentimes, however, it
is
desirable to provide additional variable information such as the names and
addresses of senders and recipients on forms by means of impact printers.
In accordance with the present invention, a business form construction
capable of receiving both impact and non-impact printing is provided, which
form
is nevertheless able to be fed continuously through an impact printer without
damage or degradation. In the exemplary embodiment, the form generally
includes three plies or layers including a lower or base ply in the form of a
release
sheet. The intermediate ply has an adhesive back overlying the release sheet
so
that the adhesive back is covered and protected by the release sheet until the
form
is put into use. The third or'top ply overlies only a portion of the
intermediate
ply. In the exemplary embodiment, which is composed as a waybill, the upper
ply comprises a flap which overlies about half of the underlying intermediate
ply.
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The exposed portion of the intermediate ply accepts non-impact printing.
Included on this portion of the intermediate ply is a bar code, as well as
other
information including, for example, tracking number, telephone (information)
number and the like. That portion of the intermediate ply which underlies the
top
ply or flap is pre-printed by non-impact printing techniques on its upper
surface to
indicate designated areas for variable information such as the sender's and
recipient's addresses, date, amount, tracking number, special instructions and
the
like. Included on the upper surface of the top ply or flap is a two-part label
construction. It is this label assembly which receives variable information
via an
impact printer. In this regard, the form in accordance with this invention
incorporates a conventional carbonless image transfer system well understood
by
those skilled in the art. Such systems include coatings on the front and/or
back of
the involved sheets or plies, typically referred to as CF (coated front), CB
(coated
back) and CF/CB (coated front and back) coatings. The latter is also pre-
printed
to indicate designated areas for variable information similar to the
underlying
portion of the intermediate ply. The label assembly includes a label lower
part
coated on the intermediate ply. More specifically, the lower label part
comprises
a first coating or film of polyethylene overlaid with a silicone coating and a
CF
coating. The label upper part comprises a die-cut face stock with adhesive on
its
underside, along with a silicone coating and a polyethylene film or coating. A
CB coating is also applied over the silicone. That portion of the upper
surface of
the intermediate ply which underlies the top ply or flap is also provided with
a C~.
coating. With this arrangement, when impact printing is applied to the label,
the
information is transferred not only to the lower label part but also to the
intermediate ply.
It will be appreciated that it is necessary to maintain the top flap or ply in
a flat orientation while the form is passed through a dot matrix or other
impact
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3
printer. The flap also needs to withstand the rigors of shipping and handling
of
the form or forms. At the same time, however, it is necessary to be able to
remove the upper ply of the form easily without damaging the flap itself.
These
three goals are accomplished by the incorporation of glue spots along the
transverse edges of the upper flap portion, temporarily adhering the flap
portion
to the intermediate ply. In addition, a solid glue line extends parallel to
the
margin of the form, along the left-hand side of the upper flap portion, but to
the
right of a separation line which defines a marginal stub. This additional use
of
non-permanent adhesive is temporary in nature, serving only to hold the upper
flap in place during processing, but permitting easy removal of the upper flap
or
ply.
Accordingly, in its broadest aspects, the present invention relates to a
mufti-ply business form comprising at least a lower ply and an upper ply
wherein
the upper ply overlies only a portion of the lower ply, leaving a first
portion of the
lower ply exposed in adjacent relationship to the upper ply; the upper ply
having
a two part label thereon including a release layer on a relatively small part
of the
upper ply, and an adhesive label overlying the release layer; the release
layer and
the adhesive label having information impact printed thereon; wherein the
exposed portion of the lower ply has information non-impact printed thereon;
and
wherein the upper ply is temporarily adhesively secured to the lower ply along
at
least two edges of the upper ply.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a business form construction in a
continuous web wherein plural forms are connected by perforation lines
extending in a direction transverse to a feeding direction of the web, each
form
within the web comprising a base ply having a release coating on an upper
surface
thereof; an intermediate ply temporarily adhesively secured to the base ply
and
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4
having non-impact printing at least on an exposed portion of an upper surface
thereof; and an upper ply partially overlying the upper surface of the
intermediate
ply, the upper ply co~gured to be impact printed in an area adjacent the
exposed
portion of the intermediate ply.
Other objects and advantages of the subject invention will become
apparent from the detailed description which follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a business form in accordance with an
exemplary embodiment of the invention;
FIGURE 2 is a section view of the form illustrated in Figure 1, but shown
in schematic form;
FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the form shown in Figure 1 but with the
upper flap portion or ply removed; and
FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail of the upper flap portion shown in Figure
1, and illustrating the label construction applied to the upper flap or ply.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
With reference initially to Figures 1 and 2, a business form construction
is provided in the form of a waybill. The form includes side edges 12 and 14
along with end edges 16, 18. As will be understood by those skilled in the
art, the
end edges 16, 18 are formed by tearing along transverse perforation lines
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51269-96
connecting the form 10 to similar forms in a continuous web format. Tractor
drive openings 20 and 22 are provided along opposite margins, adjacent the
side
edges 12 and 14. The tractor openings extend through all plies of the form and
facilitate feeding of the continuous web of forms through a printer.
Form 10 has three plies, a base ply 24, an intermediate ply 26, and a top
ply or flap 28. The base ply 24 is a paper sheet coated on its upper surface
30
with a conventional release coating 32 (see cut-out in Figure 1 ). The base
ply 24
extends to and defines the side and end edges of the form. The lower surface
34
of ply 24 may be printed with, for example, instructions for using the form.
The
base ply 24 also contains parallel die cut lines 36, 38 on the left side of
the form.
The line 38 partially defines a stub portion of the form as described further
below.
A third die cut line 37 is provided approximately midway along the width of
the
form, further facilitating the separation of the lower and intermediate plies
(by,
far example, peeling the base ply or release sheet off the intermediate ply).
The intermediate ply 26 also extends substantially the full length and
width of the lower ply 24, but its end edges 40, 42 lie just inside the end
edges 16,
18 of the lower ply, to facilitate peeling away from the base or lower ply.
The ply
26 has an upper surface 44 and a lower surface 46, the latter coated with a
conventional pressure sensitive, permanent adhesive 48. The upper surface 44
of
the intermediate ply 26 is pre-printed to the right of upper ply 28 with
indicia
applied by non-impact printers such as commercially available magnetographic
printers from Nipson Bull Corporation. ~ther non-impact techniques, including
laser printing, may also be employed. The indicia preferably includes at least
a
bar code 50 and, in the preferred embodiment, identification numbers (for
example, tracking numbers) provided on separable tabs ~2, 54 having a die cut
or
CA 02241589 1998-03-13
6
perforated edges 56, 58, 60 and 62. The information illustrated here is merely
exemplary and may include other kinds of information as well.
With specific reference to Figure 3, on the left side of the ply 26, the
upper surface 44 is also pre-printed with indicia including, for example, a
COD
amount box 64, special instruction area 68, and a date area 70. Information
prompts lie adjacent blank spaces 72 and 74 which are provided for receiving
variable information (including FROM and TO address information) through the
top ply 28 by means of an impact printer. To this end, the upper surface 44 of
ply
26 is also provided with a CF coating but only in that area which underlies
the top
ply or flap 28. The intermediate ply 26 is also provided with a perforation
line 76
overlying the die cut line 38 on the lower ply.
The top ply or flap 28 extends rightward from left side edge 12 of the
form, and tractor openings 20 along the left margin, as well as parallel perf
lines
78,80, line 78 which overlying the perf lines 76 and 38, the form to the left
of
these perf lines comprising a shipper receipt 82. Ply 28 extends rightward to
an
edge 84 located approximately midway between the perf line 80 and the edge 14.
Ply 28 has upper and lower surfaces 86, 88 with indicia on the upper surface
86
corresponding substantially to the indicia on the left side of the
intermediate ply
26 between edge 84 and perf line 80. The lower surface 88 has a CB coating
applied thereto.
Within a space corresponding to that shown at 72 on the upper surface 44
of the intermediate ply 26, a two-part label assembly 90 is applied to the top
ply
or flap 28. The label assembly comprises a label lower part 92 on the upper
surface 86 of ply 28 overlying the space 72 on intermediate ply 26. This lower
label part includes a polyethylene film or coating applied to the designated
label
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CA 02241589 2005-04-15
51269-96
7
area of ply 28, overlaid by a silicone coating and a CF coating. The lower
label
part thus serves as a release layer for the label upper part described below.
The
upper part 96 of the label assembly comprises paper stock, the underside 98 of
which
is coated with polyethylene, silicone, an adhesive and a CB coating. The self
contained label system may be as described in commonly owned U.S. Patent No.
5,525,569:
The upper surface 100 of the label upper part is adapted to receive variable
information by impact printing, with a sender name clearly visible, and a
sender
address hidden behind a screen coating 104. The upper label part also has
separable tabs 106, 108 for receiving, for example, tracking and reference 1D
numbers, again by impact printing. The information applied to the upper label
part 86 is transferred onto the lower label part 92 (and thus ply 28) through
the
carbonless image transfer system, noting that the address information hidden
on
the upper label part is clearly visible on the upper surface 94 of the lower
label part.
At the same time, this information is transferred to the appropriate
corresponding
space on the upper surface 44 of the intermediate ply 26.
Again, that portion of upper ply 28 to the left of perf line 78 serves as a
shipper receipt or stub, and may include additional information as indicated
in
Figure 1, impact printed on the form.
Glue lines 110, 112 on either side of perf lines 76, 78 permanently adhere
the shipper receipt portion of the upper ply to a corresponding portion of the
intermediate ply 26. Additional permanent glue lines 114, 116 secure the upper
ply to the intermediate ply an either side of the tractor holes 20.
CA 02241589 1998-03-13
g
Still another glue line 118 extends adjacent line 110 remote from perf line
76. The latter glue line 118 is of the non-permanent type, easily overcome
when
the ply 28 is pulled away from the intermediate ply, along the perf line 80.
Further in this regard, transverse lines of non-permanent glue dots 120 and
122
are provided along edges 40 and 42 of the intermediate ply 26, on upper
surface
44. These two adhesive dot lines 120 and 122 along with glue line 118 serve to
temporarily hold the upper ply 28 down on the intermediate ply 26 while the
customer impact prints on the form with, for example, a dot matrix printer.
They
also hold the flap 28 in place during shipping and handling, but permit easy
removal of the upper ply or flap 28 from the intermediate ply.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is
presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is
to be
understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed
embodiment,
but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
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